Family moment something for the memoirs

Keith Quinn talks to WYNNE GRAY about the World Cup and his 34 years as the voice of rugby.

Keith Quinn's favourite moment from the fourth Rugby World Cup was well away from the commentary booth where he spent nearly half the 41 matches.

The day before the All Blacks' disastrous semifinal, Quinn was the subject of an interview for the cup Internet site.

The questioner was Rowan Quinn, his elder daughter, who has been a journalist on several New Zealand provincial newspapers and is now on the Rugby World Cup staff.

"It was a special moment, something to go in the memoirs some time," he said.

While TVNZ has lost the rights to New Zealand rugby coverage, the network's head caller may not be lost to rugby commentary next season.

As Quinn said before yesterday's final, TVNZ still had the rights to the 2003 World Cup and might be involved in broadcasting qualifying matches for that tournament next year. There was also the PacRim series, and TVNZ would also cover the world seven-a-side series from such diverse places as Dubai and Cape Town.

Quinn began his television career in 1973 when he called the black-and-white coverage of England's win against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

"It wasn't bad. I still have the tape. I remember also there was a review in the New Zealand Herald by Barry Shaw, who thought I was too excitable and talked too much. "Then, a few weeks ago, there was a letter to the Herald from the same Barry Shaw defending me at this tournament, which was a pleasant thought."

Quinn reckons he has called more than 170 tests. There could have been a couple more, but his voice gave way on the day of the All Blacks' quarter-final World Cup game against Scotland, while last year he collapsed just before the test against England at Dunedin.

With the All Blacks not playing in yesterday's World Cup final, TVNZ did not get a commentary booth at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

So Quinn, John McBeth, Wayne Graham and the production staff all traipsed off to the BT Tower building in central London, along with broadcasters from a swag of other countries, to do their off-the-tube live call.
Other staff were at Cardiff to relay additional information.

"We all sit in booths with these screens, shouting our heads off while the referee's microphone and the crowd noise is pumped into the telecast," he said.

Since his broadcasting career began the year he left school in 1965, Quinn has seen and called many great matches.

His favourite is the All Blacks beating Wales in their 1980 centenary year.

Many great All Blacks have been scrutinised over the years by Quinn, but he rates Jonah Lomu the most exciting talent he has seen.

Lomu was also the central figure in Quinn's legendary call from the Cape Town World Cup semifinal against England, when the wing trampled Mike Catt and an almost aghast Quinn was left to stammer: "Oh, oh, oh, oh ..."

Michael Jones, John Kirwan and Jeff Wilson have all earned his highest admiration, but Lomu's play and the way he fought back to full health after his kidney illness give him a special place in Quinn's memories.